ARD

The outcry from German carmakers over new EU fleet emission targets are a bitter disappointment, argues Karin Dohr in a commentary for public broadcaster ARD. “Car bosses seem to ignore the opportunities of a global transport transition. […] Yes, the risk of job losses is real, but not because of climate targets that are necessary and were agreed to a long time ago, but because carmakers don’t adapt to changing conditions, and because the industry and policymakers concentrate on a blockade instead of the necessary initiatives,” Dohr says. “The real nightmare scenario is that the German car industry carries on as usual, only to call for state support as soon as it gets dicey.” Hopefully, the new targets might trigger the realisation that “climate targets are more than non-binding recommendations that can be ignored without consequences”, Dohr adds.